Neurodiagnostic Technologist Pay Scale

by Fred Decker, Demand Media

The human brain and nervous system communicate by exchanging electrical signals. Neurodiagnostic technologists, formerly known as electroneurodiagnostic or END technologists, monitor and record the nervous system's electrical activity for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Through the use of evoked potentials, electroencephalograms (EEGs) and other tests, neurodiagnostic technologists can help identify conditions such as epilepsy, sleep disorders, neuromuscular conditions and a variety of neurological deficits.

ASET Salary Survey

ASET The Neurodiagnostic Society, formerly the American Society of Electroneurodiagnostic Technologists, performs a periodic survey of technologists' salaries to establish benchmarks and track demographic trends. Its 2011 salary survey found an average wage of $65,226 per year for respondents, while the median was slightly lower at $61,000. The overall salary range was broad, with respondents reporting incomes as low as $16,000 and as high as $416,000 per year. The largest number of respondents fell slightly below midrange, with salaries clustered around the $58,000 mark.

Variables

The survey found a median income of $40,000 for technologists in their first year after graduation. This rises with time and experience. Technologists with five to seven years' experience in the field reported median income of $55,000 per year, rising to $61,000 after 11 to 14 years. The median income for technologists with over 30 years in the profession was $67,000 per year. Salaries also varied by credential and level of education, though the ranges were broad enough to make any general conclusions dubious. Overall, though most technologists earned $79,000 or less, a small but significant percentage earned more than $100,000 per year.

Becoming a Neurodiagnostic Technologist

Neurodiagnostic technologists can be trained on the job in some institutions, but it's more common to earn at least an associate degree through a community or vocational college. Some hold a bachelor's or graduate degree, and other health care professionals often cross-train in neurodiagnostic technology. Certification and credentialing is administered by organizations including The American Board of Registration of EEG and EP Technologists, the American Association of Electrodiagnostic Technologists, and the Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists. Certification must be maintained through a program of ongoing continuing education.

Comparisons

There are many career paths in health care, and most other technical professions have similar educational requirements. In general, wages for neurodiagnostic technologists compare well to those of their peers in other disciplines. For example, the American Society of Radiologic Technologists reported an average income of $61,190 in its 2010 salary survey, and a median of $58,265 per year. As with END technologists, the highest salaries exceeded $100,000 per year. The American Society for Clinical Pathology reported an average salary of $54,412 for staff-level medical technologists in its 2010 salary survey, and $65,478 for supervisors.

About the Author

Fred Decker is a trained chef and certified food-safety trainer. Decker wrote for the Saint John, New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal, and has been published in Canada's Hospitality and Foodservice magazine. He's held positions selling computers, insurance and mutual funds, and was educated at Memorial University of Newfoundland and the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology.

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